LOCAL Q&A: 2013 Roundup

Published: Friday, January 3, 2014 at 4:00 p.m.

Last Modified: Wednesday, January 1, 2014 at 4:26 p.m.

In 2013, Tusk started this section to meet the people, sorta like meeting bands, except for folks who aren’t, at least currently, on stage with a guitar, screaming into a mic. It’s a version of something we did years ago which started as the Server of the Week, then morphed into Working Class, which limited us to people with interesting jobs. While there are still doubtless plenty of intriguing vocations out there, lack of staff caused that feature to fall by the wayside.

We picked it back up this year by opening it to, well, everyone, anyone with a voice and a point of view. It just has to be someone who lives here, who has some passion for the Druid City and environs.

We’ve introduced filmmakers and photographers and thespians and horse-arena owners, educators and advocates, from students to senior citizens. We ask about their personal lives, as much as they’re willing to reveal, and their work, but then get on to what they like or love about Tuscaloosa ... also what they think we lack.

Filmmaker Billy Fields had this to say recently, about what he tells outsiders about his home:

“That there’s a lot more here than they might think: lots of good, smart people filled with interesting ideas and tons of talent. When you see the shows the Tuscaloosa community puts on at the Bama and the Bean Brown theaters, the plays, the musicals, the ballet like ‘The Nutcracker,’ that says a lot about the spirit of this community. And look at what the art community at Kentuck does. Incredible stuff. Blues in the schools. Plus, there are tons of interesting things happening every day at the university: plays, musicals, dance, visiting writers and musicians. It’s not every place that you can sit around the coffee shop and talk with Pulitzer Prize winners. Tuscaloosa is a place that you can.”

Photographer David Smith pointed out some of the great local events that seem to fly under the Chamber of Commerce/north of the river/south of Skyland radar:

“Being part of Well That’s Cool, I’ve had a hand in helping with some of the better local events each year. We just finished the annual SantaCon event, and that was a rousing success. The group is responsible for the annual Asses of Fire Chili Cook-off at Egan’s along with the Suds of the South Beer Festival. Both are great events that I look forward to each year. I also really enjoy the Homegrown Alabama Farmers Markets during the spring and summer, along with the selections of the Bama Art House Film series. The Druid City Arts Fest is an event that keeps getting better each year. I also love the Art Nights that happen each month.”

Another Well That’s Cooler, Bo Hicks, showed a bit of the diversity possible in a town of this size (this is after discounting the 17 other jobs he’s worked recently):

“I’m the grocery buyer at Manna Grocery, a founding member of WellThatsCool.com, and a founding member of and owner of Druid City Brewing. Wellthatscool.com was started by me and a few of my buddies under the idea that a lot of people gripe about cool stuff not going on in Tuscaloosa. So, as locals, we wanted to get the word out about cool things that are going on and put on cool things for people in town to go to. We’re always up to support cool things. Even if we lose money but people enjoy the event, we think it’s great. With Druid City Brewing, Elliott Roberts and I, we both are really big fans of craft beer and we got into it and we decided Tuscaloosa really needed its own craft brewery. So we started Druid City Brewing. We’re hyper-focused on Tuscaloosa. We try to source everything from local businesses, and we aren’t going to expand out of town until everyone in Tuscaloosa has had a chance to taste our brew.”

Bama Theatre manager David Allgood highlighted the attractions that keep he and his family here:

“I grew up in Atlanta, and I lived there for 40 years. We were looking to move back South; we really missed the South. All the great friends we’ve made. I run into so many interesting people in the arts community. We’ve — Gina and I — developed this network of friends that we really cherish here. I can’t imagine living anywhere else. There’s something new and different every single day. There are so many different events that take place from concerts to film to live theater and dance. It keeps you on your toes for sure.”

Rebecca Rothman, former Arts Council board president and backer of numerous causes and events, is no stranger to engagement. She advised folks to get busy: “Facebook is a wonderful way to keep people posted on local events. And of course, everyone should read Tusk! I always suggest that people pick a few things that they find important — and there are a ton of options in Tuscaloosa — decide what they are going to support, either as a patron or a volunteer or both, and just commit. There are an incredible number of opportunities to be involved here, and the ability to make a difference is a big part of what makes life in Tuscaloosa great.” n

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